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Basin farmers on pins and needles
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| Klamath Basin potato grower Dan Chin checks the soil moisture in a 50-acre field along Stateline Road near Merrill. He said potatoes must be irrigated every five days. |
Water shutoff could have been a disaster for growers
published June 26, 2003
By BRIAN COLE
and ROB McCALLUM
For Dan Chin, the prospect of an on-again, off-again water supply would be as bad as losing the water supply altogether.
Announcement of the shutdown of the Klamath Project Wednesday came as a shock to Chin and other Klamath Basin farmers.
Although federal water managers rescinded the shutdown later in the day, the threat of losing irrigation water still looms for growers, some of whom have millions of dollars invested in planted crops.
Chin grows potatoes on 1,100 acres and onions on 200 acres. This year, he has invested more than $1 million in his potatoes alone.
"Right now they are sitting on tubers, so they are at a pretty vulnerable state," he said. "If we lose water, it would be a total devastation of the crops."
Chin, like some other growers, have access to water wells drilled in 2001. But alternate water sources would allow him to irrigate only about 25 percent of his row crops.
Eddie Staunton, a farmer near Tulelake, said Wednesday's events raise concerns for the rest of the summer.
"They are telling us to conserve water as best we can," said grower Eddie Staunton. "We're still concerned. If this could happen in June, what about July and August?"
Moreover, for growers who raise crops under contract, such as Chin and Staunton, the fickle Klamath Project water supply could cause food companies to enter contracts with farmers in other parts of the country, where water supplies are more reliable.
Potato grower Keith Blackman said an on-and-off water supply is worse than the total, season-long shutdown two years ago. In 2001, farmers were notified in early April that there would be no water at all. So most did not invest in planting crops they couldn't irrigate.
This year, growers were told they would get season-long project water, Chin said. So most farmers invested thousands of dollars in their fields.
Then last Friday, federal water managers told growers they would need to cut their use of project water by about 25 percent. And Wednesday, it was announced water would not be available for the rest of the month.
But within a few hours, water managers said the water would continue to flow to them after all.
"All potatoes are up now," Blackman said. A water shutoff "would be devastating at the stage they are now. You just can't do that to potatoes. When they need water, they need it."
The same is true for onions, Chin said. His rows of onions are about 6 inches tall now, which is about 25 percent of their expected growth. A water shutoff would devastate his onions.
Chin also grows wheat and barley, and has one alfalfa cutting on the ground.
"If they cut us off, we might get a second cutting," he said. "Most alfalfa growers have their first cutting. Wheat and barley could yield a little production, but it would hurt the quality. It's vulnerable right now."
When Chin heard later Wednesday that the water shutoff was rescinded, he said: "That's good news."
Blackman said he was able to get four alfalfa cuttings twice in the last six years. But four cuttings wouldn't be possible without a consistent water supply and good weather in the fall, he said.
Staunton grows 800 acres of potatoes, along with onions, wheat, barley, mint and alfalfa.
Staunton said he has more than 450 acres of onions growing under contract.
Ironically, Klamath Basin growers would have gotten more irrigation water if not for the April rains, Staunton said.
"We would have stayed in the 'dry' designation and had plenty of water to the end of June," he said. "We were told with the "dry" designation there was enough water to last the entire season."
Chris Moudry, co-owner of Basin Fertilizer and Chemicals in Merrill, also questioned the federal government's water management program.
"We lost water in a wetter year. How is that possible?" Moudry said. "All it is is a terminology change. When they made that statement, they said we weren't going to be affected at all. Now we have this. This is bad Š bad."
Moudry also said this week's developments highlight again the frustration among farmers that management decisions are in the hands of people far from the Klamath Basin.
"When your livelihood depends on court decisions and people that are in no way connected to this thing at all, people making decisions for your livelihood, family and community, whether they are bureaucrats or judges or regulators, it really disheartening - disheartening to see that this could happen in this country."
published June 26, 2003
By BRIAN COLE
and ROB McCALLUM
For Dan Chin, the prospect of an on-again, off-again water supply would be as bad as losing the water supply altogether.
Announcement of the shutdown of the Klamath Project Wednesday came as a shock to Chin and other Klamath Basin farmers.
Although federal water managers rescinded the shutdown later in the day, the threat of losing irrigation water still looms for growers, some of whom have millions of dollars invested in planted crops.
Chin grows potatoes on 1,100 acres and onions on 200 acres. This year, he has invested more than $1 million in his potatoes alone.
"Right now they are sitting on tubers, so they are at a pretty vulnerable state," he said. "If we lose water, it would be a total devastation of the crops."
Chin, like some other growers, have access to water wells drilled in 2001. But alternate water sources would allow him to irrigate only about 25 percent of his row crops.
Eddie Staunton, a farmer near Tulelake, said Wednesday's events raise concerns for the rest of the summer.
"They are telling us to conserve water as best we can," said grower Eddie Staunton. "We're still concerned. If this could happen in June, what about July and August?"
Moreover, for growers who raise crops under contract, such as Chin and Staunton, the fickle Klamath Project water supply could cause food companies to enter contracts with farmers in other parts of the country, where water supplies are more reliable.
Potato grower Keith Blackman said an on-and-off water supply is worse than the total, season-long shutdown two years ago. In 2001, farmers were notified in early April that there would be no water at all. So most did not invest in planting crops they couldn't irrigate.
This year, growers were told they would get season-long project water, Chin said. So most farmers invested thousands of dollars in their fields.
Then last Friday, federal water managers told growers they would need to cut their use of project water by about 25 percent. And Wednesday, it was announced water would not be available for the rest of the month.
But within a few hours, water managers said the water would continue to flow to them after all.
"All potatoes are up now," Blackman said. A water shutoff "would be devastating at the stage they are now. You just can't do that to potatoes. When they need water, they need it."
The same is true for onions, Chin said. His rows of onions are about 6 inches tall now, which is about 25 percent of their expected growth. A water shutoff would devastate his onions.
Chin also grows wheat and barley, and has one alfalfa cutting on the ground.
"If they cut us off, we might get a second cutting," he said. "Most alfalfa growers have their first cutting. Wheat and barley could yield a little production, but it would hurt the quality. It's vulnerable right now."
When Chin heard later Wednesday that the water shutoff was rescinded, he said: "That's good news."
Blackman said he was able to get four alfalfa cuttings twice in the last six years. But four cuttings wouldn't be possible without a consistent water supply and good weather in the fall, he said.
Staunton grows 800 acres of potatoes, along with onions, wheat, barley, mint and alfalfa.
Staunton said he has more than 450 acres of onions growing under contract.
Ironically, Klamath Basin growers would have gotten more irrigation water if not for the April rains, Staunton said.
"We would have stayed in the 'dry' designation and had plenty of water to the end of June," he said. "We were told with the "dry" designation there was enough water to last the entire season."
Chris Moudry, co-owner of Basin Fertilizer and Chemicals in Merrill, also questioned the federal government's water management program.
"We lost water in a wetter year. How is that possible?" Moudry said. "All it is is a terminology change. When they made that statement, they said we weren't going to be affected at all. Now we have this. This is bad Š bad."
Moudry also said this week's developments highlight again the frustration among farmers that management decisions are in the hands of people far from the Klamath Basin.
"When your livelihood depends on court decisions and people that are in no way connected to this thing at all, people making decisions for your livelihood, family and community, whether they are bureaucrats or judges or regulators, it really disheartening - disheartening to see that this could happen in this country."
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| City of Merrill seeks reserve police officers |
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